[ 438 ] [APRIL, 



MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



THE weather has been generally favourable for the operations of husbandry, and for 

 forwarding the growth of all the earth's productions, until the 21st <ti this month ; when the 

 wind, quitting that westerly course in which it had continued So long, changed to the 

 north-east, bringing with it a severe storm of hail, thunder, and lightning, followed by a 

 keen and chilling air, which has continued to the present day, with the appearance of a 

 favourable turn the wind, this afternoon, veering to the south side of the east, or nearly 

 due south. These few inclement days must have checked the fruit-blossoms, which were 

 previously in a state of the utmost luxuriance, and retarded, temporarily, the progress of all 

 vegetation. But, in our fickle climate particularly, it is a result always to be expected ; 

 and, when the chilling intervals do not continue any great length, our crops, even the 

 most susceptible fruits, withstand the shock. Absorption of the superabundant moisture 

 of the autumn and early part of the winter has gone on gradually. Field labour is every 

 where in a sufficiently forward state ; the crops have all the most prosperous appearance ; 

 and never before was there such an exuberance of all the earth's products, and of animal 

 property, both in England and in Scotland, as in the present season. These stocks, 

 immense as they are, might yet be greatly increased ; and a lamentable consideration it is 

 that so great a part of our labouring population should come short of their due share of 

 this overflowing abundance. The season, in fact, is as forward as we have sometimes found 

 it in the middle of April. 



The wheats are reported universally good, with the drawback of a disease termed the 

 gout in some of the western counties, the symptom of which is an enlarged and bulbous 

 appearance in the plant, the bulb, on being opened, containing a maggot : it is a disease of 

 mild winters, from the prevalence of too much warmth and moisture. In Scotland, a con- 

 siderable breadth of wheat was sown towards the end of last month ; and the autumnal 

 wheat in the north, has an appearance equally promising as in the south ; auguring better 

 fortune with that golden crop to the Lothians and the Carse of Gowrey, than they enjoyed 

 in the last season. It appears to have been ascertained at last, by the indefatigable Mr. 

 Jacobs, that the last crop of wheat was inferior, in quantity and quality, especially in the 

 latter, to the previous crop of 1826. The ordinary samples, however, have with time 

 acquired a much better hand, and grind tolerably. The clovers and seeds, generally, are 

 remarkably fine and luxuriant, both in the north and south. The markets in Scotland are 

 plentifully supplied, and good prices obtained for live stock, with a rising market for wheat. 

 Their labourers are fully employed, and in a far better state than our's. 



On dry and good lands, never has there been a better, easier, or more auspicious season 

 for farming than the late and present. The lands have worked well throughout, with few 

 and inconsequential impediments ; the crops have succeeded in an equal degree ; the earth 

 has been constantly covered with food for animals ; vast quantities of the mangel-wurtzel 

 root have been stored by provident feeders ; and live stock, of all descriptions, has been 

 generally healthy, and in a thriving state. The low and wet lands could seldom be fal- 

 lowed in the autumn ; and being left whole, and no frost occurring sufficient to pulverize and 

 improve them, they break up in a moist and cloddy state. On these, in course, the seeding 

 process must be deferred, until they are dry enough to be pulverized by the usual operations ; 

 the weather, however, remaining favourable, these even will not be out of time. The 

 superior lands are busily preparing for the next turnip crop their beans and oats making a 

 show upon the land, and their barley nearly all in, much of it above ground. The grass 

 is so forward, that good land which has been left will carry sheep-stock well early in April. 

 The wheat, excepting upon the driest soils, has been too soft, and the land too tender, to 

 admit feeding off with sheep, according to a usual, but perhaps not beneficial custom 

 especially on drilled lands. At any rate, the practice is dangerous when the wheat is too 

 torward. The sellers of clover-seed do not meet with any amends in the price, for their late 

 short and bad crop ; but the buyers, more fortunate, obtain, at a moderate rate, supplies to 

 any extent from France. The milelot trefoil, proposed for culture, two years since, by 

 Mr. Laurence, and particularly to succeed clover, on those lands supposed to be tired of 

 clover, will be tried this season, in various parts of the country. The seed is sold by 

 Messrs. Gibbs of Halfmoon-street, and the beginning of April is its proper seed season. 

 It is not difficult of soil, and few plants succeed better on poor light lands. 



French or " double sainfoin," producing two crops in the year, has been, of late, re- 

 introduced. Messrs. Gibbs imported some of the seed from France, about seven years since, 

 which was experimented by a few of their customers without success ; and the same result 

 occurred to a writer in a late Farmers' Journal. It is supposed by some that mangel- 

 wurtzel, so little difficult about soil, will in time nearly supersede the use of common 

 turnips, in which there will be this peculiar advantage the German root must be stored, 

 a most advantageous practice, in which our farmers have been generally too averse and 

 negligent. The culture of the foreign root, sufficiently extended and preserved, will be a 

 complete insurance of winter and spring provision for live stock, thereby putting an end 

 finally to the old disgrace of British husbandry, spring starvation of animals. It has done 



